Drug house busted for a second time in New Castle

HENRY COUNTY, Ind.- A suspected drug house was busted Wednesday in New Castle by the Henry County Drug Task Force, almost a year to the day after it was busted previously.

Police arrested three people during the raid, but said they may not have been so successful if it wasn’t for helpful neighbors.

“I was in the house and I looked across the street and there was just a bunch of cops across the street,” said Kristopher Griffith, who lives across the street from the suspected drug house on Greenview Ave.

Police arrested Chelsie Mann, Brannon Velie and Kyle Hill. Mann is facing a charge of visiting a common nuisance, while Velie and Hill are facing various drug-related charges.

Police are crediting concerned neighbors for calling in tips which led law enforcement back to the house.

“We need the communities help to keep battling this problem,” said one undercover officer we spoke with. Investigators say they often rely on neighbors and citizens who are willing to talk when they know about suspicious activity.

“People in their communities know who’s going to be there, who should be there,” aid another undercover agent who had a hand in the raid, “they know what’s out of place, they know what’s suspicious and what’s not.”

Police say they found crystal meth, syringes and other suspected paraphernalia inside the home.

“A strong community can make a neighborhood better,” said Griffith, when asked what he thought about neighbors stepping up to report suspicious activity.